Good
news for 24 fans. After a lackluster season 6, 24 is
on track to have it's best year yet!

I
grew up on comic books and Dark Shadows so I'm not bent out of
shape when a character that was dead dead dead comes back to life. It's
not particularly original and a bit of a cop out but I love the classic
24 cast and rejoice to see them re-united. The producers have
even admitted to taking "creative license" in bringing Tony
Almeida back but they do it in a way that keeps you guessing so what the
hey, I'll buy in.

After
an explosive first scene, our story opens with Jack Bauer being hauled
before a Senate subcommittee to investigate his alleged indiscretions
(oh, alleged hell, we all saw what he did). Unfolding events require Jack
to be reluctantly pressed back into action but he soon finds that distinguishing
between friends and foes will be as difficult as ever (you guessed it,
there's another mole).

This
time a terrorist group seeks to cripple the nation's technological infrastructure
in an attack designed to force the president to back down on taking military
action against a genocidal African general.

Janeane
Garofalo is a terrific addition to the cast, a Cloe-type character that
pits her considerable tech skills against Jack's rouge operation. Cherry
Jones as the newly elected President is right in tune as are FBI agents
played by Annie Wersching and Jeffrey Nordlingthat
hound Jack at every turn. There's also a creepy subplot involving the
president's brother and a possible murder coverup that promises to boil
over and get real messy real quick.

The
first 15 minutes of episode three reveals a shocker as two more of Jack's
former coworkers come in from the cold in a jarring plot twist. Before
long, Jack and his deconstructed 'CTU' team are back in action for a seat-of-your-pants
thrill ride that will remind you just what made 24 TV's most
compelling drama in the first place.

As
always a healthy suspension of disbelief is necessary to accept some of
the tight escapes (the FBI can't lock down their own parking lot?!?) but
these are minor bumps in the road that are easy to dismiss because of
the fast paced nature of the scripts and the intense commitment of the
characters.

With
the new Washington, DC location, a new presidential administration, a
plotline that sizzles, and excitement to spare, FOX is banking heavily
on 24 getting it's mojo back. They're launching the season with
a 4 hour event, two episodes on Sunday night, January 11th and two more
the next night.

SEASON SEVEN PREMIERES WITH TWO-NIGHT, FOUR-HOUR EVENT
SUNDAY, JANUARY 11, AND MONDAY, JANUARY 12, ON FOXSeries Celebrates Milestone
150th Episode

24, the Emmy Award-winning series starring Kiefer Sutherland, will premiere
with a special two-night, four-hour event Sunday, Jan. 11 and Monday,
Jan. 12 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. The series, returning for its seventh
season, celebrates its milestone 150th episode during the fourth hour
of the not-to-be-missed two-night premiere.

Making its time period premiere Monday, Jan. 19 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT),
24 will unfold without interruption through the season finale in May.
Set in Washington, D.C., “Day Seven” opens with CTU dismantled
and JACK BAUER (Kiefer Sutherland) on trial. Bauer’s day takes an
unexpected turn when former colleague TONY ALMEIDA (Carlos Bernard) returns
after being presumed dead. Meanwhile, President ALLISON TAYLOR (Cherry
Jones) leads the country alongside White House Chief of Staff ETHAN KANIN
(Bob Gunton) and First Gentleman HENRY TAYLOR (Colm Feore). An unthinkable
national security crisis prompts an investigation by a team of FBI agents
including Agent JANIS GOLD (Janeane Garofalo), Agent RENEE WALKER (Annie
Wersching), Agent LARRY MOSS (Jeffrey Nordling), Agent SEAN HILLINGER
(Rhys Coiro) and security specialist MICHAEL LATHAM (John Billingsley).
Although CTU no longer exists, CHLOE O’BRIAN (Mary Lynn Rajskub)
and BILL BUCHANAN (James Morrison) are back for another momentous day
of shocking events.

Setting the stage for these events is 24: REDEMPTION, the two-hour television
event shot on location in South Africa and Los Angeles that bridges the
gap between Seasons Six and Seven. Airing Sunday, Nov. 23 (8:00-10:00
PM ET/PT), 24: REDEMPTION finds Bauer working at a school in Africa where
he is called upon to stop a ruthless warlord from drafting innocent children
into his murderous militia. At home, it’s inauguration day for the
President-elect, but a malevolent mastermind JONAS HODGES (Jon Voight)
works behind the scenes to fan the flames of the growing international
crisis. Visit the official 24: REDEMPTION website at fox.com/24/redemption
for behind-the-scenes footage, news and photos.

Created by Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran, 24 is a production of Real
Time Productions and Imagine Television in association with 20th Century
Fox Television. Howard Gordon, Evan Katz, Jon Cassar, Manny Coto, David
Fury, Kiefer Sutherland and Brian Grazer are the executive producers.